Home»News» CEA/MNY and Bread and Yoga host screening of “Miriam: Home Delivery” on May 21

CEA/MNY and Bread and Yoga host screening of “Miriam: Home Delivery” on May 21

CEA/MNY and Bread and Yoga are excited to announce a screening of the documentary, Miriam: Home Delivery, on Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. in Manhattan. CEA/MNY Board Member and CCCE, Molly Weingrod, shares her story of birthing with home birth midwife, Miriam Schwarzschild. To purchase tickets, visit www.breadandyoga.com.

“The first time I met Miriam, I was naked, facing her with my backside, moaning, and pushing so hard on the walls of our apartment that I was surprised they hadn’t fallen in. She came in quietly, knowingly, and I introduced myself with my eyes closed. Our midwife had gone on a planned vacation to Europe. I knew this was a possibility but had never really taken it in. This baby that I was sure would be similarly early to our first, was much later than anyone expected he would be. Two weeks post due date. A month past the gestational arrival of our first. And 6 weeks past when I decided I had had enough of being pregnant during one of the hottest summers on record in New York. As she left town, our midwife said, “Well, I guess this baby just wants to meet Miriam!” I laughed, in affable agreement. But inside I was actually wondering if anyone had ever had a baby that decided not to come out, but instead, grew back into her body. Turns out, our midwife was right. Almost. I’m not sure if the baby wanted to meet Miriam — but somehow he knew that I did. We went on to have a third baby with Miriam as well, and tried to figure out how to have our fourth with her too even though by then we were living in a different city altogether.

There is so much to say, and so little. Miriam is simply the best there is.

She is warm without being fuzzy; she is tough without being hard. She is absolutely present, but gives people space; she has strong opinions, but is open and flexible. Miriam is just the right balance of everything – patience, determination, commitment, care. She is wise but humble, experienced but fresh.

On the fifth phone call about trying perhaps successfully, perhaps not, to get myself into labor, she responded: I want you to try to think about getting yourself out of labor, rather than into it. Can you try to get yourself out of labor? For the first time in a week I relaxed. And hours later, we had a new baby in the house.

It’s ironic that there is a film about Miriam because she is just about the least dramatic person I know. She is straightforward. She does what she does. Not for accolades, not for show, not for anything other than her love for, and commitment to, this work. I will be forever grateful that Miriam found her calling, and forever grateful that our son, in his inimitable disdain for deadlines, led us to her. “